Street Spirit (Fade Out)
| Format = | Recorded = 1994 | Genre = Alternative rock | Length = | Label = Parlophone | Writer = Radiohead | Producer = John Leckie | Last single = "Just" (1995) | This single = "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (1996) | Next single = "Paranoid Android" (1997) | Misc = }} }} "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (commonly referred to as just "Street Spirit") is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, featured as the final track on their second studio album The Bends, which was released in 1995. Noted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Thom Yorke as "one of band's saddest songs" and describing it as "the dark tunnel without the light at the end" , "Street Spirit" was released as the band's ninth single and reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, the highest chart position the band achieved until "Paranoid Android" from OK Computer, which reached number three in 1997. It remains one of Radiohead's most popular songs and has been covered by many artists. In 2008, the song was featured on Radiohead: The Best Of, a compilation album. Background Yorke has suggested that the song was inspired by the 1991 novel The Famished Road, written by Ben Okri, and that its music was inspired by R.E.M.Thom Yorke "Chipping Away - Brian Draper talks to Thom Yorke", Third Way Magazine', October 11, 2004. The track is built around a soft melody in A minor with an arpeggiated guitar part. It is one of the band's first songs to feature keyboards prominently, a trend which takes over in their music starting in 2000. A previous, working title for the song was "Three Headed Street Spirit", as seen in interviews with Thom Yorke preceding the release of ''The Bends.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd0GtGMwyqw The single is also acclaimed for the quality of its B-sides; for example, "Talk Show Host" rose to prominence after it was remixed by Nellee Hooper for the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, since becoming a regular at Radiohead concerts. Music video The black-and-white music video for "Street Spirit" was filmed during two nights in a desert just outside Los Angeles. It premiered in February 1996 and was directed by Jonathan Glazer, who said, "That was definitely a turning point in my own work. I knew when I finished that, because they found their own voices as an artist, at that point, I felt like I got close to whatever mine was, and I felt confident that I could do things that emoted, that had some kind of poetic as well as prosaic value. That for me was a key moment." Glazer would later direct the video for "Karma Police". Track listing CD 1 # "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" – 4:13 # "Talk Show Host" – 4:41 # "Bishop's Robes" – 3:25 CD 2 # "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" – 4:13 # "Banana Co." – 2:20 # "Molasses" – 2:26 Personnel * Thom Yorke – lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars * Jonny Greenwood – electric guitar, synthesizer * Ed O'Brien – electric guitar, backing vocals * Colin Greenwood – bass * Philip Selway – drums, backing vocals Weekly positions Covers * The Darkness often cover this song live. Their version is delivered in a faster tempo, with significantly heavier guitar, and with lead singer Justin Hawkins' signature falsetto. In 2012, The Darkness included their cover of the song on the track list of their third album, Hot Cakes.Nelson, Michael."The Darkness - 'Street Spirit' (Radiohead Cover)", Stereogum.com, New York, 9 August 2012. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * Stream of Passion have recorded this song on their 2009 album The Flame Within. It is sung by Marcela Bovio and adds a burst of heavy guitar playing.[http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-flame-within-mw0000819697 "Allmusic Discography: The Flame Within"], Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * Romanian Alternative Rock band Luna Amară covers the song as a bonus track on their album Loc Lipsă. It is played at a slow pace with a background trumpet performed by Mihai Iordache.Admin.[http://www.no3.ro/2008/12/luna-amara-loc-lipsa-2006.html "Luna Amara - "Loc Lipsa" (2006)"], No. 3, 26 December 2008. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * Joe Budden had this song sampled on the track "Never Again" off of the 2009 album Escape Route.Rennie, Andrew."[[Joe Budden]"], NOW, 18 November 2009. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * The Eden House cover it on their 2010 EP The Looking Glass."Eden House, The - The Looking Glass DVD at Discogs", Discogs.com, Portland, OR. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * Korea covered it on their 2010 album The Delirium Suite."The Delirium Suite by Korea", Rateyourmusic.com, Shumba, Egypt. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * Sasha Lazard and Shawna Stone cover this song on their collaboration album Siren."Sasha Lazard", Sashalazard.com. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * Courtnee Papastathis covers this song on her album Embodied: Live in Seattle."Embodied: Live in Seattle | Courtnee Fallon Rex", Bandcamp.com, Sea Ranch, CA. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * Enter the Haggis covered this song in Bethlehem, PA in November 2012. They later released it as part of their Valentine's Day EP which released on 14 February 2014."Valentine's Day EP - Enter The Haggis", Enterthehaggis.com, Toronto, Canada. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * The a Capella group On the Rocks did a cover of this song on their album The Backgammon Sessions. * Peter Gabriel recorded a cover with minimal instrumentation for his Scratch My Back project in 2010."Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back (CD, Album) at Discogs", Discogs.com, Portland, OR. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. Gabriel recorded the song with the expectation that Radiohead would return the compliment by recording a version of his 1982 song "Wallflower" for his And I'll Scratch Yours album as part of a song exchange. Gabriel alleges that Radiohead ceased communication with him and backed out of the project after being sent the recording.Young, Alex."Radiohead’s Thom Yorke “disses” Peter Gabriel, preps “something” in April", Consequenceofsound.net, Chicago, IL, 15 February 2010. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. Gabriel has admitted that his version of the song is "pretty extreme" and he's "heard since that the band didn't like what I did with it". Radiohead's record company declined to comment. * BLONDS recorded a more 'reserved' cover of "Talk Show Host" as an addition to their Dark Roots EP.Kim, David."Radiohead Classic 'Talk Show Host' Covered By The Blonds", Diffuser.fm, New York, 13 March 2012. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. * 2Cellos have included an instrumental version of the song in their Celloverse album in 2015.Celloverse, official track list, /www.2cellos.com. Retrieved on 27 January 2015. References External links * * * * * *Article from The Guardian with Jonathan Glazer talking about the video Category:Radiohead songs Category:1996 singles Category:1996 songs Category:Parlophone singles Category:Music videos directed by Jonathan Glazer Category:Black-and-white music videos Category:Rock ballads Category:Songs written by Thom Yorke Category:Songs written by Colin Greenwood Category:Songs written by Jonny Greenwood Category:Songs written by Philip Selway Category:Songs written by Ed O'Brien Category:Songs about death Category:Song recordings produced by John Leckie